Whitby Warriors advance to Ontario lacrosse final

Defending Minto Cup champs defeat Brampton, meet Six Nations next

Whitby Warriors

Sabrina Byrnes / Metroland

WHITBY -- Whitby Warriors' Jordan Robertson took control of the ball during Game 6 of the Ontario Jr. A lacrosse semifinal, against the Brampton Excelsiors. The Warriors won 12-11 to advance to the league final against Six Nations. July 29, 2014

WHITBY -- The Whitby Warriors led for exactly 40 seconds of Tuesday's Jr. A lacrosse playoff game against the Brampton Excelsiors.
Fortunately for them, it was the final 40 and it was enough to advance them to the Ontario final against the Six Nations Arrows for a second straight year.
Nick Karam's goal with 40 seconds remaining in regulation time lifted the Warriors to a 12-11 victory at the Iroquois Park Sports Centre and a six-game semifinal win over the Excelsiors.
Brampton, which had lost three straight games after winning the first two, seemed poised to force a seventh game, jumping out to a 3-0 lead Tuesday and building it to 10-7 nearing the midway mark of the third.
But the Warriors, in a fashion befitting their status as defending Minto Cup champions, battled back to tie the game with 4:21 remaining and then won it on Karam's late-game heroics.
Austin Shanks led the way offensively, scoring five times and setting up a pair, including the winner.
Captain Reilly O'Connor, Ryan Keenan and Jordan Robertson each chipped in with a goal and four helpers, while Darryl Robertson, Bennett Drake and Luke Keenan also scored.
Jason Weber, who has been called into duty in the absence of injured goalie Josh Delves, earned his seventh playoff win in 10 games.
Pickering's Brandon Robinson had a hat trick in defeat for Brampton.
The Arrows, who finished first during the regular season with a 16-4 record, defeated Peterborough in six games of the other semifinal.
The best-of-seven final will get underway Thursday at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena in Hagersville, with Game 2 scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Saturday in Whitby.